Part of the core of life is reproduction and for human existence we have invested many ideas, theories and practices around it.
At my first year of higher education I asked my biology teacher: “Why do need the sexes? Wouldn’t life be simpler if we just divided like amoebas?”
“Ah, but the combination of genetic material of two sexes leaves plenty of room for error and that is the fertile ground for evolution”, she replied.
And with the increasing complexity of organisms came love. It seemed, and this is just a theory, that sex wasn’t enough for survival of the species.
And then came language and then civilization and we invested and built meaning on these concepts: sex, love, procreation, recreation, fertility. And before long these ideas became the jurisdiction of laws, divine or human, agreed or enforced. However, it could be argued that the expression and development of these concepts always occurred within art. In its most base and vulgar forms it was pornography, in its highest and finest form it was poetry (pardon the adjectives so full of judgement). Both can inform our psychosexual development and it can be argued that the accessibility of pornography is almost exclusively shaping the sexuality of the next generation. In the same way that poetry has shaped the romantic development of many generations.
We invited artists to contemplate on the pairs of: poetry-pornography, heart-body, love-sex, art-pornography, emotions-instincts, words-images, refined-vulgar and we are presenting the results in photographs and video in an explosive orgy of a fortnight on the first floor of Heroes Cafe Bar.
Artists participating:
Anna Goula Vardinogianni, Stiofan O’Ceallaigh, Leo Kalovyrnas, Myron Pavenos, Zois Triantafilloy Sfakianakis, Kostis Fokas, Hiro Fay, Chrysostomos Galathris, Dimitris Gketsis, Nikos, ΠΛΑΝΕΤ ΑΝΤΖΟΥΡΛΑ, Juan Betancurth, George Striftaris, Menelas, Alexinos Piravlos
At the opening of the exhibition Leo Kalovyrnas, Myron Pavenos, Stiofan O’Ceallaigh, Menelas and special guest Vassilis Noulas will be reciting their own poetry in Greek and English.
But the events do not stop at the opening, as part of the exhibition a special screening of legendary video performance “The Homonazi Effect” by Alexino Piravlos and Calypso Larah which examines the homoeroticism of the far right will take place. (Neither creator will be present at the screening with English subs)
The exhibition will close with a very different event: under the presentation and directorial guidance of singer and cult priestess of pop Anna Goula the queens of the new Athenian drag scene will read, in their own way, homoerotic poetry from antiquity to modern times. Drag Queens: Darlissa Berry, Chraja, Darla Cupid, Filothei, Holly Grace, Aphrodite Hgw, Zackie Oh, Melita Scabeau, Hollywood Volta.
Duration: 12 – 27 November 2016
Opening days and hours: Tuesday to Sunday 19.00 – 24.00
Free Admission. The exhibition is not suitable for minors.
Opening Night: 12 November, 19:00
The Homonazi Effect Screening: 19 November, 21:00
Alonside the screening we also had an interactive performance by Menelas and Fluffy
“Pornopoem me…”
This is Fluffy and his tied up body belongs to you between 21:00 until 21:45. We provide 4 coloured marker pens and Fluffy’s body Draw, spit, write, touch, pornopoem him
Heroes Cafe Bar, Agion Anargyron 45, Psirri (Metro: Monastiraki/Thission)
Graphic Design: Charis Valsamis, charis.valsamis@gmail.com
READ AN INTERVIEW IN GREEK OF THE CURATOR FOR OZON MAGAZINE
REPORT OF DRAG QUEENS EVENT BY ATHENS VOICE
REPORT OF DRAG QUEENS WITH EXTRA BACKSTAGE BY LIFO MAG
GREEK PRESS ARTICLES: 10PERCENT.GR
